Nottingham Forest were credited with an interest in Lorenzo Lucca in January and reportedly have the Udinese striker in their sights again ahead of the summer transfer window.
Described as “the giant from Moncalieri”, the 6ft7in front man has a €25m (£21m) price tag on his head after bagging 10 goals in 28 Serie A appearances this term.
AC Milan and Napoli are also said to be keen on Lucca, who spent time on loan at Ajax when a Pisa player earlier in his career.
And in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport , the 24-year-old hinted that he was prepared to look abroad again to further his career, comments likely to encourage Forest’s interest.
He said: “I have grown physically, technically and mentally. Abroad I see more goals. Serie A is difficult but it is a challenge that gives me adrenaline. I am the master of my destiny.”
Lucca is in his second season at Udinese, who next play Serie A leaders Inter Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.
Looking at his immediate future, Lucca said his aims were to “continue working calmly, stay calm.” And he added: “I must not put pressure on myself. I have to think about improving myself as I have done so far, with the trust of Udinese who two years ago were the first to believe in me after a difficult year.”
If Forest are looking for a forward with supreme self-confidence, then Lucca could be their man. As for the rest of the season before a potential exit, he told Football Italia: “It makes no difference to me. There are nine games left and we have to give everything.
“I don’t set a target. They can be a mental limitation. I go game by game, I don’t talk about targets.”
As for Sunday’s big game, he added: “It matters a lot to us. After the break, we’ll come back fired up. We’ve shown that we step up in big games but struggle more against smaller teams.
“We need to make the most of every chance because the top sides get many more. We’re going up against a team of world-class players, one of the strongest out there. The standings say they’re the best right now.”
No doubt the Forest recruitment team will be keeping a keen eye on the game and Lucca’s performance after he scored in the reverse fixture, a 3-2 home defeat.
He said: “A beautiful goal, yes. But it didn’t earn us any points, even though we played well.”
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Nottingham Forest are flying high in the Premier League and Reds fans are dreaming of a return to European competition. It has been an outstanding campaign for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, who are on course for a place in the Champions League next season. And Forest supporters can whet their appetite for a possible return to football’s top tier on the continent with our 48-page special edition celebrating the club’s two European Cup wins.
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